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Wednesday, January 14, 2026
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    ESPN To Have First All-Black Broadcast Team For an NBA Finals

    • Mark Jackson, Mark Jones, and Lisa Salters to call tonight’s Game 1.
    • They could be first all-Black announce team to broadcast any major championship event.
    By
    Jun 02, 2022 | 03:43 pm
    UPDATED Jun 02, 2022 | 04:29 pm
    Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

    ESPN is poised to make sports TV history by having the first all-Black broadcast team for the NBA  Finals, the network confirmed to Front Office Sports.

    Analyst Mark Jackson, play-by-play announcer Mark Jones, and sideline reporter Lisa Salters will work ABC’s coverage of tonight’s Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics.

    The historic all-Black team is something of a happy coincidence. Analyst Jeff Van Gundy and play-by-play announcer Mike Breen were taken off the telecast after testing positive for COVID-19.

    Further, the trio could be the first all-Black broadcast team to call any major championship event in the U.S.

    NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski will also be on the bench due to a positive COVID test. Van Gundy and Breen hope to back behind the microphone for Game 2 Sunday.

    On Thursday, ESPN also announced a long-term contract extension for Salters, who’s been with the network since 2000.

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